Events - Wednesday, 10 April 2013

This workshop aims to: facilitate the description of ecologically or biologically significant marine areas (EBSAs) through application of the Convention on Biological Diversity's (CBD) scientific criteria and other relevant criteria, as well as the scientific guidance on the identification of marine areas beyond national jurisdiction; collate, review, analyze and synthesize relevant scientific data collected through the CBD EBSA repository system; and compile and produce regional EBSA reports for consideration by the CBD's Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA). The workshop will focus on the South-Eastern Atlantic region.

The tenth session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF 10) will assess the overall progress made on the implementation of the Non-Legally Binding Instrument on All Types of Forests and achievement of its four Global Objectives on Forests. The theme for UNFF 10 is forests and economic development. Agenda items will include: forest products and services; national forest programmes and other sectoral policies and strategies; reducing risks and impacts of disasters; and benefits of forests and trees to urban communities.

This workshop is organized by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in collaboration with the Royal Botanic Garden of Jordan and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) under the framework of the medium-sized project on capacity building for early entry into force of the Nagoya Protocol. Funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Japan Biodiversity Fund, this workshop will overview the key features of the Nagoya Protocol on access and benefit-sharing (ABS) and relevant international developments, will include an exchange of experiences on steps taken towards ratification and implementation, and will identify opportunities for support toward ratification and implementation.

The UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) 2nd Scientific Conference will take place during the 3rd special session of the Committee for Science and Technology (CST S-3). The meetings were originally scheduled to take place from 4-7 February 2013, in Fortaleza, Brazil, but have been rescheduled for 9-12 April, in Bonn, Germany, right before the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC), which will meet from 15-19 April in Bonn. Regional consultations are expected to convene between the two meetings. The scientific conference will be the main part of the CST session and will consider the theme "Economic assessment of desertification, sustainable land management and resilience of arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas," with a focus on two sub-topics: economic and social impacts of desertification, land degradation and drought (DLDD); and costs and benefits of policies and practices addressing DLDD. Based on the February 2011 decision of the CST Bureau, the Global Risk Forum GRF Davos is the lead institution to organize the UNCCD 2nd Scientific Conference, under the guidance of the CST Bureau. The expected outputs include: White Papers on the "Economic and social impacts of desertification, land degradation and drought" and "Costs and benefits of policies and practices addressing desertification, land degradation and drought;" a State of the Art Report on Economic assessment of desertification, sustainable land management and resilience of arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas; a Short Abstract Booklet and Extended Abstract CD of all oral and poster presentations; a Policy Booklet for Decision Makers for COP 11; 2013 Science Recommendation for CST 11; a Special issue of a peer reviewed journal; and Scientific papers in additional peer reviewed journals. These recommendations will be submitted to the CST and Conference of the Parties for their consideration.